Motherly moments

Yesterday Rhiannon came down very suddenly with a fever over 105 and she was miserable. She is okay - it appears to just be a virus (which I now have as well) but she was so miserable last night. She feel asleep quite early for her (as soon as she laid in bed at 8pm) but woke up at about 10pm really sad. I went into her room and gave her some medicine to help bring down her fever which was back up at 105 and she asked me to stay with her. The other kids were asleep so I did.

I brought in my pillows and crocheting and laid on the other end of her bed propped up on pillows. The sickness was just starting to settle on me as well and we were both experiencing alternating chills and sweating. We laid there on opposite ends of the bed and Rhiannon asked me if I would crochet and tell her a story. I rubbed her forehead and back for a few minutes with my cool hand (she was burning up) and then I settled in and started to crochet and tell her made up stories about herself and her siblings with their friends Benkin (a made up character who stars in many of our homemade stories - he is a mouse that helps the children on their adventures that only the kids can see), Winnie the Pooh and all the characters from the Hundred Acre Wood.

I told stories of camping with them and helping Rabbit with spring cleaning and having vegetable soup. They went on walks and help Eyeore rebuild his house. They played Pooh Sticks and enjoyed being all together. The second story I told Rhiannon asked if I could not include Rabbit because he was grumpy and made people do things they did not want to, and always wanted everything his way. We used this as an opportunity to talk about how our friends may feel when we are bossy and always demand our way (a struggle of Rhiannon's she is working through) and different ways we could avoid this.

Then I sang songs to her: twelve Disciples, Jesus Loves Me, TorraLora, You are My Sunshine, The Joy of the Lord, Jesus Loves the Little Children, Amazing Grace, Cumbaya, and a made up song about Rhiannon to name a few. While I sang she tried to sleep and I was working on a blanket. I relay felt like a mom in this moment and it was a special moment - even though we were both pretty miserable and sick.

Peace,
Tenn